Thomas Tuchel has named a 25-man England squad for the Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain, leaving out Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Kobbie Mainoo while handing first senior call-ups to Jobe Bellingham and Fulham midfielder Josh King. The squad was announced on Friday, 6 November, according to Sky Sports.
Palmer's absence is the most striking. The Chelsea forward withdrew from the previous camp in September and October with a minor fitness issue, and Sky Sports News reports that England carried out medical checks with Chelsea on Thursday which confirmed he was fully fit and available for the upcoming fixtures.
Why it matters
Palmer was left out of the World Cup squad in the summer after an injury-disrupted season, and his omission now comes despite a strong run of form — five goals and three assists in 11 appearances this season, per Sky Sports. Tuchel's decision signals that international places will be earned in camp rather than on club reputation alone, and it opens the door for younger players at a pivotal moment in the Nations League campaign.
Speaking on Friday, Tuchel said the "door is always open" for Palmer and insisted the call was not personal. He said the players who were in the last camp "built something extraordinary" and that Palmer "misses too many opportunities to impress." Tuchel added that he would never assume Palmer lacks the desire to play for his country, but that competition for places is live.
Foden and Mainoo also overlooked
Foden remains out of the picture despite six goal involvements in as many games for Manchester City, according to Sky Sports. The forward was also left out of last summer's World Cup squad and the autumn camp.
Mainoo, meanwhile, withdrew from the previous squad with an unspecified injury. The Manchester United midfielder had been selected for the World Cup but did not feature at the tournament.
Their absences, along with injuries elsewhere, have created room for new faces. Jobe Bellingham, the brother of Jude and a Borussia Dortmund player, and King, who has broken through at Fulham, have both represented England at youth level and now step up to the senior set-up for the first time.
Sky Sports reports that King, 19, has started every Premier League game for Fulham under Alvaro Arbeloa and has displaced club-record signing Emile Smith Rowe in the No 10 role. He has two goals and an assist in the league this season, and his 57 touches in the opposition box are described as an unmatched total, ahead of Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku. Tuchel reportedly sees King as an option in a position where England are well stocked, having picked him ahead of Palmer and Foden.
Returns, withdrawals and the rest of the squad
Defenders Trevoh Chalobah and Tino Livramento have both withdrawn through injury. Left-back Nico O'Reilly is unavailable after Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca deemed him "not 100 per cent," according to Sky Sports. Trent Alexander-Arnold, the Real Madrid right-back, keeps his place.
Djed Spence of Inter Milan returns for the first time since the World Cup following injury, and Arsenal's Ben White is recalled after being overlooked since March, when some England supporters booed him at Wembley. Sky Sports notes that White's earlier return to the fold was divisive, and that a knee injury in May likely cost him a World Cup place.
In midfield, Bournemouth's Alex Scott is out with a thigh injury, so Everton's James Garner — called up as a replacement in the autumn — comes in. Up front, Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White and Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha are included as England contend with injuries to Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka, while Arsenal winger Noni Madueke has been overlooked.
The full squad is: Goalkeepers — Jordan Pickford (Everton), Jason Steele (Brighton & Hove Albion), James Trafford (Leeds United). Defenders — Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Marc Guehi (Manchester City), Lewis Hall (Newcastle United), Ezri Konsa (Arsenal), Jarrell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Inter Milan), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid), Ben White (Arsenal). Midfielders — Elliot Anderson (Manchester City), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jobe Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), James Garner (Everton), Josh King (Fulham), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Declan Rice (Arsenal). Forwards — Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool), Morgan Rogers (Chelsea).
England now turn to the Nations League fixtures against Croatia and Spain, where Tuchel's reshaped group will be expected to show the same form that convinced him to keep faith with the players from the last camp.
